As expected, Yang Damei, who was already satisfied, beamed even more radiantly after receiving the face mask. "Thank you!"
"Don't mention it. If any of your friends need makeup, tell them to come find me. I’ll be setting up my stall here all month." Having provided a benefit, Sheng Xia took the opportunity to make a small request.
"Consider it done. I have a friend coming for a blind date this afternoon. Just wait—I’ll call her right now and have her come over!" Yang Damei was very proactive, immediately securing a new client for Sheng Xia.
Before long, another young woman arrived at the State-run Restaurant. This time, there was no need for Sheng Xia to say anything; the girl saw Yang Damei’s face, stopped mid-sentence, and immediately pulled out five dimes, handing them to Sheng Xia. "Make me look as beautiful as Damei."
"No problem!" Sheng Xia chirped and happily set back to work.
***
"Didn't I tell you to go home after breakfast? I only let you stay the night because you said you had nowhere to sleep. You need to leave now, or if Sheng Xia sees you here, she definitely won't be willing to get back together with me."
Just as Sheng Xia was happily tending to her stall, Xu Aijun, having returned home after finalizing his divorce, found Wang Chaoying waiting inside.
Seeing that she hadn't left yet, Xu Aijun frowned. Yesterday, hearing Wang Chaoying say she liked him and loved him had clouded his judgment. He figured that as long as Wang Chaoying was out of the picture, there would be no obstacles between him and Sheng Xia.
Wang Chaoying, however, felt a surge of bitter resentment upon hearing Xu Aijun’s words. It was always "Sheng Xia" this and "Sheng Xia" that. Was she, a high school student, not as good as a fisherwoman?
Moreover, he had taken advantage of her yesterday, and now he wanted to pretend it never happened? Not a chance!
"Brother Jun, this is all my fault for causing such a rift between you and your wife. That’s why I specifically prepared a meal to apologize to you. I’ll leave right after we finish eating!"
Determination flashed in Wang Chaoying's eyes, but her tone remained gentle and graceful. "Please, I beg you. Once I leave this time, I may never see you again, Brother Jun..."
As she spoke, her eyes reddened and tears welled up, giving her a pitiful, heart-wrenching appearance.
"Yingzi..." Seeing her like this, Xu Aijun recalled the confession she had made to him the day before.
"Fine," he agreed. It was just one last meal, after all. Yingzi was just too in love with him.
Unfortunately, his wife could only be Sheng Xia. He couldn't live without her, so he would just have to let down Yingzi’s deep affection.
Seeing him agree, a triumphant gleam flickered in Wang Chaoying's eyes. She pulled him to the table and poured him a glass of wine. "Brother Jun, for this first cup, I want to thank you first..."
"Brother Jun, you're drunk. Let me help you to the bedroom to rest!" Before long, Xu Aijun was dizzy from the drink. Wang Chaoying immediately helped him up and led him into the bedroom.
Soon, the sounds of bodies intertwined drifted from the room...
"Sheng Xia, I will never let you come back!" Amidst the heavy, intimate sounds, one could faintly hear the woman's smug laughter.
"Achoo!" At the entrance of the State-run Restaurant, Sheng Xia had just finished her fourth makeup session of the day when she suddenly sneezed.
She looked up at the sky; the sun was setting, and the air was beginning to turn chilly. The aroma of food wafting from the State-run Restaurant made her stomach rumble.
Thinking that her goal of four makeovers was complete, Sheng Xia decided to pack up and head home. She had eaten at the restaurant at noon for convenience—the chef was skilled and the ingredients were fresher than they would be decades later—but she still wanted to go home and taste her parents' home-cooked meals.
Sheng Xia efficiently folded up her small stool, packed away her makeup kit, and pulled it along as she made a leisurely departure.
"Damei, where did the comrade who did your makeup go?" She had no idea that shortly after she left, someone had come looking for her. Not seeing her, the person asked Yang Damei anxiously.
It was the peak of the dinner rush, and Yang Damei had been too busy to keep an eye on Sheng Xia. Only now, hearing her friend ask, did she realize Sheng Xia was gone.
"I don't know, she probably went home," Yang Damei said. Seeing her friend's anxious face, she added, "Don't worry, Sheng Xia said she’d be here, and she even asked me to introduce people to her. Come back tomorrow, she'll definitely be here."
The friend left with a look of disappointment.
Of course, Sheng Xia knew nothing of this. After leaving the State-run Restaurant, she strolled along, enjoying the scenery, and finally made it back to Jinsha Village before dark.
"Why are you only just getting back!" As soon as she reached the entrance of the village, Sheng Xia saw her mother waiting for her, holding the child.
Seeing that she was safe, Xia Yuhe breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't help but nag her, "Your father was about to ride his bike into the city to look for you."
Their daughter had just gotten a divorce and had been out all day without a word; they were terrified something might have happened.
Seeing her mother's eyes red, Sheng Xia knew she had worried them. She quickly showed off the makeup kit she was pulling. "I went to set up a stall today. I didn't ride a bike, so walking back took a bit longer."
"A stall?" Only then did Xia Yuhe notice the wooden box her daughter was dragging. Hearing her mention a stall, she couldn't help but frown. "Don't you have a job? How could you..."
"My girl, you're back!" Before she could finish, Sheng Haifeng rode up on his bicycle. Seeing Sheng Xia, he shouted in his booming voice.
"Why are you shouting so loud? Think you're the only one with a voice?" Xia Yuhe snapped at her husband for interrupting her, then went over to pull him aside. "Our girl just said she went out to set up a stall."
"What on earth? Isn't that library job quite good? Why would you—" Once Sheng Haifeng heard his daughter was out setting up a stall, his heart ached, too. His daughter had never suffered like this.
"It must be that bastard Xu Aijun's fault! Let's go, let's head to the city and beat him up right now!" Xia Yuhe’s eyes blazed with fury.
"Mom, Dad..." Seeing that if she didn't speak up, her parents would actually head to the city to start a fight, Sheng Xia quickly interjected.
"The library job was originally arranged by the school for teachers' spouses. Now that I’m divorced, it’s not appropriate for me to keep working there, and I don’t want to, either."
In her previous life, she had always followed Xu Aijun; wherever he taught, she worked in the school library. It was a relaxed job, but incredibly boring. The world outside was changing rapidly, while she remained frozen in time, as if forgotten by the era.
She didn't want to live that kind of life again. Even without the System, she wanted to properly experience this vibrant, thriving era full of opportunities and miracles.
"If you don't want to do it, then don't. You don't need to go out and set up a stall, either. From now on, you can just stay home and look after Qingqing; Dad will go fishing and support you." Having been stirred to indignation by Xia Yuhe, Sheng Haifeng immediately chimed in upon hearing it was his daughter's choice.
In her past life, whenever her parents felt she had been wronged, even when her father was in his seventies or eighties, he would always tell her that if she was tired, she should come home, and he would take care of her.
Sheng Xia felt warmth in her heart, but she had already made up her mind. In her previous life, her father had fished his whole life, which had left him with many ailments; in his old age, he often suffered so much pain he couldn't sleep.
In this life, she would not let her father continue to fish; she would help him age with better health.